Paper Short Abstract:

Subcultural space Tukikohta fosters grassroots cultural activity. This presentation examines it through the concept of heterotopia, focusing on the dominant values shaping the space and the practices that are adapted to sustain these values, such as safer space rules and harassment contact persons.

Paper Abstract:

Tukikohta, a former depot facility in Oulu, Finland, functions as a social space for grassroots cultural activities, offering rehearsal spaces for bands to play and office facilities for various associations. One of its central events is the annual punk festival, Hässäkkä-Päivät.

This study is part of a broader article-based dissertation examining urban grassroots participation in Oulu, the European Capital of Culture for 2026. In exploring Oulu’s cultural landscape, I observed that Tukikohta—widely regarded by its participants as a subcultural space—holds significant importance within the local cultural scene. In July 2023, I participated in the festival as a volunteer and collected ethnographic research data, including a field diary, recorded interviews with participants, and photographs.

The study investigates the significance of subcultural spaces for festival participants and the cultural practices emerging within Tukikohta. To understand the values of this “alternative space” I applied discourse analysis to transcribed interviews, drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopia—an “other” space functioning as a counter-space distinct from its surroundings.

This framework highlights how participants perceive Tukikohta in relation to other cultural venues. Initial findings suggest that independence—rooted in creative participation and a non-profit ethos sustained by communal voluntary work—and inclusivity—reinforced through harassment contact persons and safer space policies—are core values of Tukikohta. The space operates as an alternative to commercial festivals, bars, and clubs, which participants see as unable to sustain these values.